POI NCIS crossover AU
by whomii2
Summary: John Reese joined NCIS when he returned from serving overseas to find that his fiancee Jessica had been murdered. Now he heads the NY MCRT, which includes an ex-JAG lawyer (Carter), an ex-NY detective (Fusco), and an ex-CIA assassin (Shaw). Assisted by a Cybercrimes computer genius (Finch), a slightly crazy Forensic Tech ('Root'), and an ME with a past (Elias) they solve crimes
1. Chapter 1 Team Building

John Reese had thought that when his tour of duty was over, he would return home to marry Jessica and start a new life with her. Sadly, that wasn't to be the case. He returned home from overseas only to find his fiancee dead, murdered, and no one knew who the killer might be. Initially he drowned his grief in the bottle. But eventually the thought of how disappointed Jessica would be in his throwing his life away gave him the impetus he needed to get back on his feet. He joined NCIS, hoping to prevent any other serviceman from having to deal with the uncertainty around the loss of a loved one that he had to shoulder. It was ironic, he had traveled the world looking for bad guys, and it turned out there were plenty at home all along.

His grim determination in tracking down those bad guys meant he progressed rapidly in his new career. He might not be a deductive mastermind, but he was smart and dogged in his pursuit of justice, following up the slightest lead and double-checking every detail to find that one detail that could crack a case wide open.

Then tragedy struck again. The New York office had been tracking some home-grown terrorists for a while. But their technological savvy made the group elusive and hard to pin down. Finally the NCIS office received an anonymous tip about a warehouse location used by the terrorist group. A large number of NY agents had converged on the site to take the terrorists into custody, only to have the meeting place destroyed in an explosion that cost the lives of most of the NCIS agents as well as the terrorists. John was one of the few survivors, although his injuries meant he was on desk duty doing reports or working cold cases for quite a while.

But something about the way things went down bothered him. While the terrorists had shown they were ready to kill or even die for their cause, John didn't think that they would martyr themselves like that. Almost the entire network had been killed in the explosion, with only a few low-level members left who were quickly taken into custody. They had effectively put an end to their cause when they triggered that explosion. And who had supplied that convenient tip off? Reese felt that there must have been more going on than they knew. He suspected that there was still someone else out there, someone who had pulled the strings and gotten away scot free when he erased all the evidence and any contacts in the explosion.

Unfortunately Reese had trouble convincing anyone else of what his gut was telling him. Most of the other agents left in the New York office humored him out of pity, but thought his theory was simply a manifestation of survivor's guilt. Everyone else just wanted to put the case to rest and move on, to have some closure and feel that those responsible for their colleagues' deaths were no more. So Reese tried to chase down leads on his own while also toiling away on cold cases. But he wasn't having much luck.

On one particular Friday he had been trying to find some sort of lead most of the day and on into the evening but still nothing. He had removed his sling to better type on the computer and forgone his prescribed pain medication to keep his mind clear but it hadn't helped. He leaned back in his chair and reached for his mug, growling in frustration when the movement aggravated his shoulder and he realized the mug was empty anyway. His dark mood was interrupted by a quiet voice inquiring "Is there something I can help you with?"

Barely restraining his urge to take his frustration out on his hapless colleague, John turned around to find to his surprise the recently appointed head of the Cyber Department staring at him quizzically through his glasses. Harold Finch had been one of the new personnel brought in during the upheaval and reorganization following the explosion. He had quickly whipped the demoralized and disorganized Cyber Department back into shape so that it was functioning like a well-oiled machine. But recently the man had been incommunicado, with rumors swirling that he was involved in some hush-hush operation.

John gave a discouraged wave at his computer and said wryly "Just trying to find a needle in a haystack, when I don't even know where the haystack is."

"You look like you could use a break. I was just going to refresh my tea. Perhaps you could come with me for a cup of coffee and let me know what you are looking for. I might be able to make a suggestion. Or if not, sometimes just restating the parameters of the problem can lead to new insight."

So the two headed to the break room and settled at one of the tables after getting their drinks. John filled the other man in on the investigation of the terrorist organization, the events leading up to the disastrous raid on the warehouse, and John's own suspicions that it wasn't over, that there was still someone out there.

Finch listened attentively through the recitation, asking a few questions for clarification but for the most part keeping quiet. When John had finished speaking Finch pondered for a moment before standing up and saying "I see. Show me what you have so far."

Unfortunately what John had was mostly nothing. But he led the other man back to his computer and explained the search he had been trying when Finch wandered by on his way down from MTAC.

"May I?" Finch asked as he gestured toward the computer. John gave the other man his seat and pulled over another chair while Harold started typing away. John wasn't sure if the other man believed him or was just humoring him but he was grateful for any assistance.

After about 30 minutes the typing stopped and Harold leaned forward to peer at something on the screen.

"What is it?"

"I am not sure Agent Reese, but I think I may have located your haystack."

And so it began. Odd hours snatched on nights and weekends. Harold searching for electronic clues and John running down any resulting leads. Or sometimes it was the both of them. Finch seemed a bit excited to be out in the "real world" instead of the cyber world and Reese just appreciated someone who believed in him and didn't think it was all in his head. Finally they had their culprit. Enough bits and pieces collected to form a compelling pattern. Then the final damning piece of evidence that was the "smoking gun" that would nail their perpetrator.

John felt immense satisfaction when he put the cuffs on the man himself. Word had spread quickly when Reese had applied for the warrant and recruited several agents as back up to go make the arrest, so on his return to the office he was greeted with a standing ovation and cheers from his fellow agents.

* * *

In recognition of his success with the high-profile case John was offered the chance to be Lead Agent on a newly formed Major Crime Response Team for the New York office.

Reese began by interviewing potential agents for the most important position: his Senior Field Agent. The person who would be his second in command and back up when Reese was unavailable. It was vital that John find the right person to fill the spot. Part of that person's duties would be to help mold and train the other additional agents into a cohesive and efficient team.

He sat down with each candidate in a conference room, asking questions about their experience and briefly explaining what he personally expected of his second in command. Most of the interviewees were polite and respectful and congratulated him on his success closing such a big case nearly on his own (as Reese was always quick to point out the contributions of Finch).

Agent Carter's response was a little different.

Carter was a former army interrogator who had passed the bar when she returned stateside. She had considered joining the police force, but as a single parent with a young son decided that JAG was more appropriate. It had less inherent danger and more regular hours, allowing her more time with her son. Now that Taylor was older with his own friends and activities she wanted to take on a more hands-on role in catching the bad guys.

The questions about her CV and the explanation of how the new MCRT might function had gone well, but when the topic of the recent case came up Carter frowned at John and let him have it.

"What were you thinking taking Finch into the field? He may as well be a civilian with what little experience he has."

"Harold is still an agent. And he knew what was at stake when he volunteered to help" Reese said a bit defensively.

"I'm not questioning Agent Finch's courage or commitment. I am questioning **your** judgment. Agent Finch isn't a **field** agent and you know it. You had the man doing stakeouts with you (and god knows what else) where you placed him in proximity to the perps. You know how things can go sideways even on a routine stakeout. What if you had gotten into a gunfight?"

"I took Harold to the range and made sure he knew how to handle his weapon."

"Shooting a target and shooting a person are two very different things. And any hesitation in the field could get him killed. You should have been protecting Agent Finch, not relying on him to back you up if anything went down. Even Dr. Elias has Anthony with him and he is rarely at a crime scene that isn't loaded with other Agents."

"Anthony is just there to assist Elias with the bodies"

"Anthony is packing almost as many weapons as you are. And if I'm not mistaken the Doctor is armed as well. Despite what you have seen in horror movies, I doubt that their weapons are there for the corpses" Carter retorted.

Reese didn't really have a response because in his heart he knew she was right. He had been so focused on proving his theory and so glad of any assistance on the case that he had taken unconscionable risks with Harold's life. It was only great good fortune that the whole affair hadn't ended in tragedy. From now on Reese would ensure that he never let his need to find the truth take precedence over the welfare of his agents. And if he forgot again Carter would be there to remind him. She would be the perfect second on his team, her strong belief in following the rules and procedures from her legal background counterbalancing his more aggressive no-holds-barred attitude. They might not see eye-to-eye on everything, but a little friction between them would make them sharper and better agents.

With Carter at his side and Finch providing technical support the nascent team was able to start taking a more active role in investigations. Reese and Carter still butted heads from time-to-time, but overall managed to form a close and effective partnership. It was good that they had the time to work out the kinks in their professional relationship before they expanded the team to include their other unusual members.

* * *

Fusco was the next to be added. He had been a police Detective when they first met him while working a case. His help had been invaluable in uncovering the dirty cops who were responsible for the petty officer's death. But helping to put away his own Captain, corrupt or not, didn't do any favors for Lionel's career with the NYPD. So John had offered him a place on his team. Fusco's contacts both on and off the force would be a great help to them. His friendly, easy-going manner was also useful in putting at ease victims, witnesses, or potential suspects. Certainly Reese and Carter weren't known for their diplomatic skills. Although there was some question about just how involved in HR Fusco might have been, at the end of the day he had thrown in his lot with them and Reese felt he deserved a chance. The fact that he had taken a bullet for Carter, albeit only receiving a flesh wound, in John's mind more than counterbalanced any shady doings in his past.

* * *

Their final member was Shaw. At first she had been implicated in one of their investigations. But they soon learned that she was innocent, and was being used as a fall-guy for an unsanctioned and illegal CIA operation. They saved her life and cleared her name when they put away the real perpetrators. Shaw was rather sullen and cynical after being burned by the Agency and almost didn't accept Reese's offer of a spot on his team. John never knew what changed her mind, but he was glad to offer her an alternative to the black ops work she had been doing and instead give her a chance to **put away** the bad guys instead of **becoming** one of the bad guys.

That is, unless one day she killed Lionel for calling her 'Probie' one time too many.


	2. Chapter 2 DC visitors

John supposed it should be taken as an indication of how far their newly formed team had come that the vaunted DC MCRT team was coming to town to 'consult' on a case. Their own investigation that had initially seemed so cut and dried had instead led to a criminal organization already under investigation for drugs and smuggling by the DC team. Apparently the Director had ordered the DC team to come up and pool information, as the spur-of-the-moment murder of the petty officer by one of the gang seemed like their best opportunity to finally get a handle on all the players. John just hoped the visitors remembered that the Director had instructed them to work together. Nobody was pushing his team off of this case, not after all the hard work they had put in tracking down the culprit in order to get justice for the victim. Of course, getting a bunch of drug-running smugglers out of his city was also a worthy goal, and Reese would be glad to lend a hand to see it done.

Harold quickly pulled together dossiers on the visiting team and pulled out the salient points to brief the others before the DC MCRT arrived. There were of course rumors about the DC team, but Harold felt they should have something more substantial (and accurate).

Finch had long ago set flags on their own files to alert him if anyone went snooping, so he would be aware if the visitors followed a similar MO. Although the information on their team and their cases available on the system was as sparse as possible given that the data was supposed to be accessible to the appropriate searchers. Harold had said that there were limits to how much encryption could be placed, and therefore it would always be vulnerable to hacking. In this case for privacy sake he actually recommended they go old school. The more detailed write ups of their cases were on paper and filed away, only accessible if someone physically came for them and whose request could make it past Hersh, the surly agent who manned the file room after injury in an explosion removed him from active duty.

Reese perused the information provided and mulled over what he recalled from gossip.

Gibbs certainly had a reputation. Mostly for being a bastard. But also for being incredibly dedicated to his job, not to mention loyal and protective of his people. Even if he seemed rather harsh in his treatment of them.

The rest of the DC MCRT didn't have quite the notoriety of their Lead Agent, although there were still some stories about them. SFA Dinozzo was held in a bit of awe for not only lasting so long with Gibbs, but actually thriving under his high-pressure leadership. While some stories painted him as something of a goof off, Reese doubted that Gibbs was the type to suffer fools gladly. Instead, he suspected Dinozzo was the "good cop" to Gibbs "bad cop." It certainly seemed that the Senior Agent was well liked. John suspected Dinozzo was rather like Fusco, who's easy-going 'average joe' persona helped calm frightened witnesses and led criminals to underestimate just how sharp Lionel really was. It seemed like Gibbs might have even worse people skills than Reese, and so would only benefit from an agent who could easily calm ruffled feathers.

McGee was a genius with computers, although Reese would still put his money on Harold if it came down to a showdown between the two. But from all accounts the man was more than competent in the field so John supposed that evened things out.

Interestingly the other member of the MCRT seemed to vary over time, although always a woman. And some unusual choices: a Secret Service agent, a Mossad Agent, and an NSA agent. Although Reese's own team was also out of the ordinary.

All in all, Gibbs was the one most likely to be a problem. The man certainly had a reputation for not playing well with others, but John was sure he could handle him. Reese figured Gibbs would be rather like his old drill sergeant back in basic. John doubted that any of the other members of the New York team would be too put off by a bad attitude. Carter, Fusco, and Shaw were certainly no strangers to having bastard bosses. It was the "civilian" members of his little group that had Reese worried, though for different reasons.

Dr Elias and Miss Groves might be all friendly smiles on the outside, but Reese was convinced that on the inside they both harbored a dark side. A very dangerous dark side. This Gibbs had better watch his back if he dared to take his temper out on either of them. Because they wouldn't be fair or open in their retaliation, rather striking when he wasn't looking.

Harold wouldn't let some yelling intimidate him or prevent him from doing what he felt needed to be done. John had never had reason to doubt the other man. But the gentle heart Harold hid behind his prickly and aloof exterior would be a bit bruised by Gibb's legendary bastardly ways. And his inherent politeness and decency would prevent him from pushing back. Although if either Elias or Groves caught Gibbs giving Harold grief John had no doubt that they would make good on their many vows to be able to kill someone without leaving a clue (or a body).

Assuming of course that Reese (or his team) didn't beat them to it.

 _(note that in this case John is mostly basing his opinion on what he has heard about Gibbs. I don't think Gibbs would be quite as bad with the non-field agents as Reese is worrying he might be, and the NY field agents will just snarl back at him if he gets too cranky. After all, he isnt **their** boss)_


End file.
